Aging Well Is a Strategy – The Brain, Hormone & Fitness Markers Women Must Build Now with Dr. Lindsey Berkson
Everyday Wellness Podcast ~ March 2026
Podcast Recap
by Tracy
Dr. Berkson is one my FAV hormone experts! She’s almost 78 yrs young and looks like a 50 yr old! What’s her secret? She’s been on HRT for 30 yrs, she exercises daily, eats organic, and is always stimulating her brain. This podcast was important to me as we have Alzheimer’s in our family, so I’m always reading about ways to prevents this horrible disease. I listen to every podcast Dr. Berkson is on because she’s a wealth of knowledge and I love her personality! 🩶 Short on time? Scroll to the end for “Tracy’s Takeaways”.
The Hippocampus: Your “Me Center”
At the center of this conversation is the hippocampus, your brain’s memory bank and sense of self.
Dr. Berkson describes it through the “3 Ms”:
Me-ness
Memory
Motivation
As we age, the hippocampus naturally shrinks. But here’s the hopeful part:
It can regenerate, like the liver, if supported early enough.
When shrinkage goes too far, it shows up as cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disease. But in earlier stages, the brain still has the ability to reboot.
Exercise: A Weekly “Maximum Effort” Signal
One of the most overlooked tools for protecting the brain is intensity.
Dr. Berkson recommends pushing your body to its maximum capacity once or twice a week.
This kind of effort:
Signals resilience to the body
Supports brain health
Helps preserve function as you age
Hormones and Brain Regeneration
Hormones, especially estrogen, play a critical role in maintaining brain structure.
Neurologist Dale Bredesen has shown that in early to moderate cognitive decline, the brain can improve when underlying factors are addressed—and hormones are one of the first interventions.
Why? Because hormones can directly impact the volume of the hippocampus.
Estrogen and the “Re-Volumizing” Effect
A study from McGill University used functional MRIs to track how estrogen affects brain volume.
Researchers studied women already experiencing hippocampal shrinkage—often feeling:
Fragile
Less steady
Not quite like themselves
The results were remarkable:
With adequate doses of estradiol, the hippocampus returned to more youthful volume in just 6–7 weeks.
But here’s the key:
This wasn’t a low dose, it was around 2 mg of estradiol equivalents.
Finding the Right Dose
Hormone therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Dr. Berkson’s approach is simple but nuanced:
👉 Take as much as your body benefits from, without tipping into side effects.
Some women need very little
Others (especially with a family history of Alzheimer’s) may benefit from higher doses
Symptoms (like breast tenderness) can help guide your upper limit
The goal isn’t minimal dosing, it’s effective, personalized dosing.
Why Women Have Been Afraid of Hormones
For decades, women have been taught to fear hormone replacement therapy.
Much of that fear traces back to the Women's Health Initiative study conducted in the early 2000s, which was widely misinterpreted and led to sweeping avoidance of estrogen.
More recently, Marty Makary has called this a “travesty,” pointing out that hormone therapy may be one of the most powerful tools we have for supporting healthy aging.
Marty Makary is now head of the FDA. He has been a prominent critic of the Women's Health Initiative study, arguing that its findings were misrepresented and caused a "fear machine" that deterred women from using hormone replacement therapy.
🩶 Tracy’s Takeaways
Exercise + hormones are two of the biggest levers for healthy aging and brain protection
Push to max effort 1–2x/week to signal resilience and support brain function
The hippocampus (memory + identity center) can shrink with age—but can also regenerate if supported early
Estrogen plays a key role in brain health and may help restore hippocampal volume
Hormone therapy should be personalized—not one-size-fits-all (dose matters)
Fear around HRT largely came from misinterpreted research
Lifestyle still matters: exercise, nutrition, mental stimulation, and long-term hormone support